Millers beaten by Shrews

Rotherham United were beaten by two loanees tonight at the Prostar Stadium, Shrewsbury, to end their run of three league wins in a row.

The game began with rain lashing down and an accompanying wind and with Shrewsbury having the first shot towards goal in the opening minute when ex Miller, Dave Hibbert, had a shot that was easily saved by Andy Warrington in the Millers' goal. Although the Millers seemed to have more of the possession, the only real shot in the first twenty minutes was from Waide Fairhurst, on loan from Doncaster, that went well wide of the upright. Then the home side had a great chance to go in front when Ian Sharps was judged to have fouled ex Miller Graham Coughlan in the penalty area. Hibbert stepped up to take the spot kick but it was parried away by Warrington and finally cleared away by Tom Pope. Straight away the Millers went down the other end and Kevin Ellison had a shot that was deflected away and from the resulting corner, Ian Sharps' header went just wide of the post. But it was the Shrews who finally scored, two minutes before half time when Waide Fairhurst got the ball from a deflected shot from Hibbert and put it past Warrington, who seemed to go down in stages, into the back of the net.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Fairhurst found Hibbert in the area but his shot was brilliantly saved off the line by Millers captain, Ian Sharps. At the other end, the Millers' two loanees, Gary Roberts and Adam Rundle combined well with Rundle's powerful shot hitting the top of the crossbar and going out to safety. Fifty seven minutes in and Ellison wasted a free-kick from just outside the area by sending it well over David Button's crossbar and ten minutes later the same player saw a dipping drive scream over the crossbar too. Two minutes from time, Nathen Elder, on for Hibbert, got the ball out to Devitt who had a shot which took a wicked deflection off a Millers defender, and although Warrington got a hand to it, the ball found its way into the back of the net to seal the victory for the Shrews.

A lot of passing the ball about today but, once again, no real service up to the likes of Adam Le Fondre and Tom Pope who really must have the ball played to their feet to get us on winning ways again

Star Player

Ian Sharps - though, I thought, both Adam Rundle and Gary Roberts had good games too